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South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission to Strengthen Oversight with Major Workforce Expansion

By  |  November 11, 2025

South Korea’s Fair Trade Commission (KFTC) is preparing to enhance its regulatory capacity through a major increase in staffing and funding next year. According to a government statement, the agency’s workforce will expand to 814 employees in 2026, representing a 22 percent rise from 667 this year. Labor expenses are also expected to grow by 13.2 percent during the same period.

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    The move aligns with President Lee Jae Myung’s broader policy direction, emphasizing swift and rigorous corporate oversight. Per a statement in the government’s 2026 budget plan, the KFTC has been allocated 186.6 billion won ($127 million) for next year—an increase of 14.2 percent from this year’s budget. The Lee administration has made clear that strengthening the antitrust watchdog is central to its economic governance strategy.

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    In support of these initiatives, KFTC Chairman Ju Biung-ghi has announced plans to create a dedicated digital market monitoring team. The new unit will focus on detecting unfair or collusive practices by major platform operators in South Korea’s fast-evolving digital economy. Ju, who took office in September, is known for his strong belief that strict enforcement is essential to preventing unlawful corporate behavior.

    Read more: South Korea’s Antitrust Push Intensifies Under President Lee’s Leadership

    “We consider establishing a new team dedicated to monitoring and investigating any undue business practices regarding artificial intelligence and algorithm collusion,” Ju said during a National Assembly audit last month.

    Although full details have yet to be disclosed, the commission is reportedly planning to assign part of its expanded staff to this new digital oversight team. According to officials, the decision reflects the KFTC’s commitment to addressing the growing influence of dominant tech and platform companies, which are viewed as engaging in practices that could undermine fair competition and consumer welfare in South Korea.

    With a larger budget and more investigative personnel, the KFTC is expected to adopt a more proactive enforcement stance—imposing stricter penalties and expanding its oversight of companies that violate South Korea’s fair competition laws.

    Source: Korea Times